Umbrella rib and stretcher-joint.



No. 7l0,328. Patented Spf. 30, 1902..;

c. MAQMILLAN.

UMBBELLA HIB Ano .sTRETcHER Jul'NT.

" (Appmion med Dc.-17, 1901.)

(No Model.)

W/TNESSES y v I )NVENTo/e Y i v Allam@ IUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLYDE IWIACMILLAN, OF VVILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- TI-IIRDS TO LEWIS J. EDLER AND A. S. MAHAFFEY, OF WILLIAMSPORT,

PENNSYLVANIA.

UlVIBRELLA RIB AND STRETCHER-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 710,328, dated September 30, 1902.

Application filed December 17, 1901. Serial No. 86,282. (No model.)

To rtl?, whom t may concer-71;:

Be it known that I, OLYDE MAGMILLAN, of Williamsport, in the county of Lycomingan'd State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iu Umbrellas and Parasols; and I do hereby declare-the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to 1o make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in umbrellas, and more particularly to the crowns and runners therefor, the object of the invention being to soconstruct and arrange the parts of an umbrella that the removal of a broken rib or brace may be readily and quickly accomplished and a new one inserted without the aid of special tools or injury to the parts. A further object is to reduce the zo cost ofimannfacture without in any wise impairing the strength and durability of the parts. Y

With these ends in View my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described,and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a broken detail sectional view ot' the umbrella 3o stick and frame, showing in detail the construction of the runner and crown-piece. Fig. 2 is a view of the runner, the locking-ring thereof being represented detached g. and Fig. 3 is a similar View of the crown-piece, the

locking-ring thereof also being shown detached.

l represents an umbrella-stick; 2,the crownpiece or notch, which is rigidly secured on said stick near its upper end, and 3 is the run- 4o ner, the latter being mounted to slide on the stick l and provided with a notch at its upper end. The crown-piece 2 is preferably made of a singlepiece of suitable material, and it consists of a ferrule 4, having an outwardly-projectingannularliangeat its lower end. The top of this flange 5 is provided with an annular row of sockets 6 for the reception of the ball ends of the ribs or braces 7, the said sockets being in open communication with the slits 8, formed in the periphery and so lower face ot the flange 5, thus permitting the ribs or braces 7 to be folded to a vertical position against the stick l. The ball ends of the braces or ribs are securely locked within their respective sockets by a split ring 9, the slot formed by the splitting of the ring being preferally radial rather than tangential. This split ring 9 normally rests in an annular groove 10, formed in the ferrule portion 4 of crown 2, the position of said groove being so 6o located with respect to the upper face of flange 5 that the bottom of the ring 9 will rest upon the upper face of said flange 6 and effectually close the sockets 6, formed therein, thus confining the ball ends of ribs or braces 7 65 within said sockets.

The runner 3 is similar in construction to crown-piece 2, except that the ferrule of the latter is much shorter than the ferrule of the former and instead of being fixed to stick l 7o is adapted to slide thereon in the usual manner. The ball ends of the lower series of ribs or braces 10a are locked in sockets ll by the split ring l2 and are adapted to move in the slits 13, as heretofore explained.

With the construction above Vdescribed it will be seen that a broken rib or ribs may be easily and quickly removed from the umbrella-frame and a new one inserted by unskilled persons, it only being simply neces- 8o sary to open the slit ring to enlarge the radial slot sufliciently to permit of the passage of a ball at the end of rib or ferrule from the crown or runner, as the case may be. The ball of a new rib can be inserted through the radial slot of the separated ring and made to enter the socket from which the broken rib or brace has been removed. The ring can .then be sprung or pressed to its locked position and the umbrella-cover secured to the 9o new ribs in theusual manner. It is not necessary to completely remove the ring from the sleeve or ferrule, but merely to open it, to permit the passage of the ball of a rib, as above explained. This simple method of fastening the ball ends of the ribs in position not only tends to lessen the cost of manufacture, but also imparts strength and durability to the entire structure without in any wise Vmaking the parts cumbersome or heavy.

Again, it does away with all sharp or angular edges which tend to cut the fabric.

It is evident that changes in theconstruction and relative arrangement of the several parts might be made Without avoiding my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described; but,

Havingfully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an umbrella, the combination with a notch having sockets therein and ribs having enlarged heads, of an expansible split ring having an aperture normally narrower than a ribhead.

2. In an umbrella, the combination with a sleeve or ferrule, an annularviange thereon having a series of sockets, ribs having heads to enter said sockets, said fiange also having slots for the passage of said ribs or braces, the sleeve or ferrule having a groove adjacent to said flange, and an expansible split ring disposed in said groove and having an aperture normally narrower than a rib-head.

3. In ,an umbrella, the combination with a sleeve, and an annular ange on said sleeve, said Aiiange having a series of independent sockets and having slots communicating with said sockets, of a series of ribs or braces having heads mounted independently in said sockets, and an expansible split ring, said ring mounted on the sleeve and normally inclosing the heads of the ribs or braces in the sockets in said flange and having an aperture normally narrower than a rib-head.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OLYDE MACMILLAN.

VVi'tnesses:

MARGARET EASTON, A. L. SCHALL. 

